The Acid Test Graduation poster always has, and always will be one of the most important, sought after, and valuable concert posters from the 1960's.

Why?

The answer is simple. This is more than just a concert poster, it is one of the most historically important artifacts of the 1960's San Francisco counter culture movement.

The Acid Test Graduation was promoted using this poster, by Bill Graham at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom on October 31, 1968.

The poster was designed by Gut (Allen Turk), one of the Hell’s Angels. It is featured in The Art of Rock, plate # 2.209. Read the colorful story about Gut here.

The event was to feature the central characters San Francisco Scene -- The Grateful Dead, Ken Kesey, Neal Cassady, The Merry Pranksters, and The Hell’s Angels.

Graham abruptly pulled out of the event when he learned of a plan to put LSD in the venue's water supply.

But the show must go on, so the Acid Test Graduation Halloween Party was moved to the Alliope Warehouse, and the Anonymous Artists of America performed wearing costumes.

Ken Kesey and The Merry Pranksters were also in attendance, handing out Acid Test Graduation diplomas.

As mentioned above, Acid Test Graduation posters have always been amongst the rarest, most desirable, and valuable 1960's concert posters.

The lot offered here, represents an opportunity to acquire a specimen that is TRULY unique.

This poster was printed as a "Test Pressing", on a Esalen Institute flyer that must have invariably been lying around the printers.

THIS TEST PRESSING CLEARLY DISPLAYS EVERY DETAIL AND IS THE EXACT SAME SIZE AS THE STANDARD PRODUCTION RUN.

Could this possibly be the very first Acid Test Graduation poster ever created? Perhaps the red paper used for regular production run was not available yet?

Only the Poster Gods can answer these questions.

But this is the only Test Pressing of it's kind that we are aware of and unless new information surfaces, could be called "1 of 1"!

While our archives tell us that heavily damaged specimens (with major holes and more flaws than the lot offered here) of Acid Test Graduation Posters can routinely command $15,000 to $20,000, attaching a value to this special specimen is highly speculative at best.

What we do know for sure is that this is the very FIRST CGC graded and authenticated specimen of this Classic Rarity to ever be offered at public auction anywhere in the world!

Poster – Acid Test Graduation, Test Pressing!

Grade – CGC 4.0

Bands/Bill – Grateful Dead

Venue – Winterland

City – San Francisco, CA

Date – 10/31/66

Dimensions – 12" x 20"

Printing – OP-1, Original Pre-Concert First Printing

Artist – Gut (Allen Turk)

Condition Details - 100% Original with no restoration. 1 1/4" tear left edge and 1 3/4" tear left edge, pinhole in each corner, creases, handling, toning, brown mark in right border, tape stain back top right. View the detailed high res photo of this lot. Click on the thumbnail photo, to see an enlarged photo. Click a second time on the magnifying glass in the upper right corner of the enlarged photo. A super high res image with every millimeter will now be clearly displayed. For a personalized eyewitness examination call 410-464-6180, 11:00 am to 6:00pm eastern.

*****This poster is available for inspection at our gallery, by appointment. *****

*A 20% Buyers Premium will be added to the final hammer price of this lot.*